Shaft-coupling.



No. 731,635 PATBNTED JUNE 23, l903. J. E. 6: R. P. VANDBGRIPT & R. L. MORRIS. SHAFT COUPLING.

AfPLIOAI'ION FILED 1'38. 9, 1903.

no MODEL. w

w d b a mun/lull Z JAMES E. vANnEenIrrQnoLL/i P. vnnnnenmr, AND T i or SHELBYV-ILLE, INDIANA.

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

ATENT OFFIC RQBERT L. MORRIS,

SHAFT-COUPLING.

"srnorrronrron ar i g part of Letters Patent No. 731,635, dateduun paieoa Application filed February 9, 1,903. $erial No. 142,496. (No model.)

To all whom it may Be it known that we, JAMES E. VANDEGRIFT, ROLLA P. VANDEGRIFT, and ROBERT L. Mon- RIs, each being a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Shelbyvi1le,in the county of Shelby and State of ln diana, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improve ments in Shaft-Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake andiuse the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 1 parts of the shells.

in gs, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

Thislinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in shaft-couplings and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth. 7

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate our invention, Figure l isa side elevation showing the compression-shells of the coupling in position to be drawn toward each other .by a nut which engages the threaded Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sleeve. 4 is a vertical section taken through a point near thecenter of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view'of one of the compression-shells.

A shaft-coupling made in accordance with the invention comprises anexpansible sleeve which exteriorlytapers toward each end, a pair of compression-shells having interlocking ends, a tapered interior, and exterior threads forengagement with a collar which when turned will draw the shells toward each other and compress the sleeve upon the shaft, meansfalso being provided for holding the shells sothat tongues thereon will enter re cesses to interlockthe shells. r

The coupling embodies in its construction an expansible and'compressible sleeve A, preferably made in a single piece, the ex terior tapering from its center toward each end, such sleeve having kerfs or slits (L a, which alternate and extend from one end to a point near the opposite end, such sleeve being adapted to be placed over and embrace the end portions of a shaft.

Shells B B interiorly taper to correspond 'with'the inclination of the exterior of the sleeve A, the shells being so constructed that when the ends are brought together the projecting tongues b b will enter recesses between the same. The tongues or recesses may be formed by cutting away or milling out a part of the end of each one of the "shells. Each shell has at a slight distance from the end of the recess a part B, 'of greater diameter than the greatest diameter of the body. portion, and such part has "external threads-one" shell having the threads cut right and the other left-the pitch of the threads being the same on both sections. The shells B B are each provided through the projecting portions B with apertures b I), positioned so that when such apertures are in alinement the tongues will be opposite the recesses, and such apertures are intended to receive a pin or bar which will hold the shells in proper alinement, so that the tongues will enter the recesses when the nut or collar 0 is turned to, draw the shells together.

The nut or collar 0 has internal right and left threads, and when the collar is .turned the shells will slide upon the pin until the tongues enter the recesses, after which the pin may be removed.

In case it is desired to dispense-with the tongues and recesses a pinorwpinsd may be used, as such pin or pins will prevent the sleeves turning independent one of the other.

In practice the parts of the coupling comprising the compressible sleeve A, shells B B, and the nut or collar C are placed upon a shaft, the shells being 011 opposite ends of the nut, and in order to position :and hold the shells in alinem ent a pin is passed through the apertures I), such pin preventing the turning of one shell independent of the otherand also admit of the shells sliding one toward the other, so that the tongue on one shell willenter the recess in the other shell. Aft-er such engagement takes place'the pin has served its function and may be removed.

The oppositely-threaded nut or collar when turned in the proper direction will draw the shells together to compress the sleeves on the shaft. It is obvious that the pin-receiving apertures 12 I) through the shells are desirable,

for without the same and a pin it would be a difficult matter to hold the shells in alinement prior to the interlocking of the tongues, and

without some means for holding the shells against turning one independent of the other the threads of the nut or collar would engage the threads on one shell prior to engagement with the other.

If desired, the ends of the sleeve may be formed with flat surfaces, and the nut or collar may be similarly shaped, so that the parts can be turned by a wrench.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shaft-coupling comprising a compressible sleeve, a pair of shells having on their adjacent ends tongues and recesses, there being pin-receiving apertures extending longitudinally through the shells and to one side of the tongues and recesses for the reception of a pin to hold the tongues of one shell in line with the recesses in the other shell, and a nut which engages the shells and draws them toward each other when turned, substantially as shown. 7

2. A shaft-coupling comprising a compressible sleeve, shells which overlie the sleeve and are provided with interlocking ends and externally with circumferential flanges having threads, the threads on one flange being pitched opposite the threads on the other H. K. MORRIS, WV. I. PATTERSON. 

